法苑珠林 83.21

83.21

又遺教經云。汝等比丘。若勤精進則事無難者。是故汝等常勤精進。譬如小水常流則能穿石。若行者之心數數懈廢。譬如鑽火未熱而息。雖欲得火火難可得。是名精進。

Furthermore, the Sūtra of the Buddha's Bequeathed Teaching says: "You monks, if you practice diligent vigor, nothing will be difficult. Therefore, you should always be diligently vigorous. It is like a small stream of water constantly flowing, which can pierce stone. If a practitioner's mind is frequently indolent and negligent, it is like rubbing sticks for fire and stopping before they grow hot; though one desires fire, fire is hard to obtain. This is called vigor."